Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Hindi: Passport to Portuguese

How would you say in Hindi, "Passport to Portuguese"? (the word "Portuguese" refers to the language here). It's the title of a book. 

You can say:

Purtgaali ke lie passport पुर्तगाली के लिए पासपोर्ट or Purtgaali Hetu Passport पुर्तगाली हेतु पासपोर्ट 
or, 
Purtgaali ka passport  पुर्तगाली का पासपोर्ट 

(The last one literally also means "Passport of a Portuguese person")

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Hindi: Merry Christmas

How can one say "Merry Christmas" in Hindi?

One can say:

Christmas ki shubhkamnayen! क्रिसमस की शुभकामनायें!
Chrismas shubh ho! क्रिसमस शुभ हो!
Bada Din shubh ho! बड़ा दिन शुभ हो! 

Christmas is also called "Bada Din" in Hindi which literally means "big/long day".

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

mere sone kaa waqt ho gayaa hai

Which one is correct?
1. mere sone kaa waqt ho gayaa hai; or
2. meraa sone kaa waqt ho gayaa hai

In spoken language, #1 is used most of the time and is correct.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Vande Mataram वन्दे मातरम्

What is the meaning of the two words in "Vande Mataram" "वन्दे मातरम्"?

Vande => I salute you / I bow to you / I worship you
Mataram => Mother

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Hindi for beverages

Is there a word for beverages as a class?

It is called Peya Padartha ( पेय पदार्थ )

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Mahaji

Mahaji may not be a Sanskrit term, although Mataji (revered mother) is. Have you come across the expression? I think it is used in Thailand. Mahaji may be a title for Shiva.

In India at least, "Mahaji" is not in popular use. Shiva is called Mahadev - the Great Lord. Maha means "great", and "ji" is a suffix of honor. It may be in use in other countries.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Feminine for Guru गुरु

A friend said to a female colleague, "You are the new guru in this field." Is there a female equivalent of the word "guru"? 

It is perfectly accepted in common usage, to call even a female as "Guru". But if one wants to be particular, there are some suggestions in:

Guru Ma  (गुरु माँ), 
Guruuaain (गुरुआइन), 
Guru Patni (गुरुः पत्नी), 
GurvI (गुर्वी)